Ask Inc.: Tips on Handling Customer Complaints

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Act Fast

Listen Carefully

Choose a Point Person

Think Before You Speak

Be Flexible

Handle a complaint as soon as it happens. If you let a customer hang up the phone without clearing up his or her complaint, he or she will feel ignored and will be more likely to complain about you to others. You don’t want unhappy customers talking with anyone other than you.

Resist the temptation to debate an unhappy customer. Just let them talk. Allowing a customer to voice his or her complaint will alleviate the tension and move you toward a better resolution. Some people just want a chance to vent.

Ask an employee who was not involved in the initial conflict to step in and handle a sticky customer service matter. Ideally, a manager with the authority to resolve the dispute is the best person to tap.

Be careful of the language you use, and watch your tone of voice. Say what you can do, not what you can’t do. For example, don't say "We can't honor this coupon before it's expired.” Instead, say, "Can we give you a coupon or credit for a future purchase"?

It’s easy to bend the rules and let a customer return an item past your policy of 60 days. It’s hard to police every complaint about you that crops up on the Web. If you can make an exception for an unhappy customer, you may find that the short-term cost yields long-term dividends.